Cat with a swollen nose: what can it be?

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 7 August 2021
Update Date: 12 May 2024
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A boarded cat has swollen right nostril Part 2
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The cat is a very independent animal and an expert hunter with its keen sense of smell and flexibility. Smell is one of the most important senses for cats and there are situations that can affect this sense and associated anatomical structures, including the nose and face.

A cat with a swollen face or nose is quite noticeable to any pet owner who deals with their pet on a daily basis and causes a lot of concern. If your cat has this problem, in this PeritoAnimal article we answer the question: cat with a swollen nose, what can it be?

Cat with Swollen Nose and Other Related Symptoms

Generally, in addition to the swollen nose, the cat may also have other symptoms such as:


  • Facial deformation (cat with swollen face);
  • Nasal and/or ocular discharges;
  • tearing;
  • Conjunctivitis;
  • Stuffy nose;
  • Cough;
  • Respiratory noises;
  • Loss of appetite;
  • Fever;
  • Apathy.

Depending on the symptoms that are associated with a cat with a swollen nose, we can diagnose the cause and determine the best treatment.

Cat with a swollen nose or face: causes

If you've noticed that your cat has a swollen nose, there are some more common causes that explain the symptom:

Foreign body (cat with swollen nose and sneezing)

Cats are very fond of exploring and sniffing anything that is new or has a tempting odor. However, sometimes this can go wrong and cause the animal to sting or inhale a foreign body, be it plant seeds or thorns, dust or small objects.

Generally, an innocuous foreign body gives rise to cat sneezing with secretion, as a way to try to eliminate it. Look at the upper airway and look for any kind of foreign body. If the cat sneezes frequently, we suggest reading the article about cat sneezing a lot, what can it be?


Cat with a swollen nose from insect or plant bites

Cats billboard, that is, those who have access to the street or who are from the street are more likely to have this reaction. However, as long as there is an open window or door, any animal is prone to an insect biting/biting it.

Insects that can provoke this reaction include bees, wasps, melgas, spiders, scorpions and beetles, among others. Regarding plants that are toxic to cats, they can also cause reactions in the cat's body, either by ingestion or by simple contact. Check our link for the list of toxic plants.

While in some cases due to the bite of an insect or poisonous plant there is an allergic reaction located at the inoculation site, which may or may not be associated with the release of a poison or biotoxin, other cases are so serious that they can threaten the animal's life.


Cat Allergy Symptoms

THE local allergic reaction by insect or plant stings can cause:

  • Local erythema (redness);
  • Local swelling/inflammation;
  • Itching (itching);
  • Increased local temperature;
  • Sneezing.

If the regions of the face or nose are affected, we can see a cat with a swollen nose and sneezing.

already the anaphylactic reaction, a severe and rapidly evolving systemic allergic reaction includes:

  • Swelling lips, tongue, face, neck and even the whole body, depending on the exposure time and amount of toxins/poison;
  • Difficulty in swallowing;
  • Dyspnea (difficulty breathing);
  • Nausea;
  • Vomiting;
  • Abdominal pain;
  • Fever;
  • Death (if not treated in time).

This is a medical emergency, so if you notice any of these symptoms, take your pet to the nearest veterinarian immediately.

abscesses

Abscesses (accumulations of pus in circumscribed spaces) when they are on the face cause this impression of a cat with a swollen nose and can arise from:

  • dental problems, that is, when the root of one or more teeth starts to inflame/infect and cause a reaction that starts with a local swelling of the face and later leads to a very painful abscess.
  • Trauma from scratches from other animals, animal nails contain many microorganisms and can cause very serious damage if not treated in time. What appears to be a simple scratch can result in a sore on the cat's nose or abscess that deforms the cat's face or other parts of the body (depending on location).

Treatment requires cleaning and disinfecting the site, and it may be necessary to drain the abscess and antibiotics.

Nasolacrimal duct blockage

The nasolacrimal duct is a small structure that connects the lacrimal gland, where the tear is produced, to the nasal cavity and, sometimes, it can block by clogging with secretions, stenosis or foreign bodies, leaving the appearance of a cat with a swollen nose.

Feline cryptococcosis and swollen nose

Cryptococcosis in cats is caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus catti, present in soils, pigeon droppings and some plants and is transmitted by inhalation, which can cause a pulmonary granuloma, a structure that forms during inflammation and that tries to circumscribe the agent/injury, creating a capsule around it.

Cat with a swollen nose from feline cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis also affects dogs, ferrets, horses and humans, however its most common presentation is asymptomatic, that is, without manifestation of symptoms.

When there is a clinical manifestation of symptoms, there are several forms: nasal, nervous, cutaneous or systemic.

The nasal is characterized by a nasofacial swelling, accompanied by ulcers and nodules (lumps) in the region.

Another very common symptom is swollen cat face and the so-called "clown nose" due to the characteristic swelling of the nose by increased volume in the nasal region, associated with sneezes, nasal discharge and increased regional nodes (lumps in the cat's neck).

In this disease it is very common to see a cat sneezing with secretion or blood, stuffy nose cat or cat with nose sores.

To identify the cryptococcosis in the cat cytology, biopsy, and/or fungal culture is usually performed. The fungus can stay in a latent period (incubation) between months to years, so it may not be known when or how it contracted the disease.

Treatment for cryptococcosis in cats

And then the question arises: what is the remedy for cryptococcosis in cats? The treatment of diseases caused by fungi takes a long time (between 6 weeks to 5 months), with a minimum of 6 weeks, and may last for more than 5 months. The most used drugs are itraconazole, fluconazole and ketoconazole.

In these cases, it is necessary to monitor liver values, as this prolonged medication is metabolized in the liver and can cause liver changes.

If there are secondary skin lesions and there is a cat nose wound, topical and/or systemic antibiotic therapy should be prescribed, together with local cleaning and disinfection.

Remember if: never self medicate your pet. This can cause adverse reactions, multi-resistance and even the animal's death.

Sporotrichosis

Sporotrichosis in cats is a disease caused by a fungus, usually the treatment is an antifungal, such as itraconazole.

Zoonosis, entry through open wounds, bites or scratches from infected animals, more in the nose and mouth.

Respiratory diseases: rhinitis

Respiratory diseases, whether acute or chronic, such as asthma or allergies, can affect the nasal cavity and nasopharynx. If you detect any respiratory symptoms such as sneezes, nasal or eye discharges, cough or breathing noises, you should take your pet to the vet so the symptoms don't get worse.

Nasal neoplasm or polyps

By direct or indirect obstruction of the respiratory structures, the cat can also present the above mentioned symptoms.

Trauma or hematoma

Fights between animals can also lead to serious bruises (accumulations of blood) and sores on the cat's nose. If the cat is the victim of being run over or some kind of accident, it can also appear with a swollen nose/face and sores.

viral diseases

Feline AIDS virus (FiV), leukemia (FeLV), herpes virus or calicivirus can also cause cats with swollen and sneezing noses and other respiratory symptoms.

If you ask yourself: how to treat viruses in cats? The answer is the prevention through vaccination. Once the virus is contracted, treatment is symptomatic and not directly directed at the virus.

Understand what are the most common diseases and cats and their symptoms in this PeritoAnimal video:

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Cat with a swollen nose: what can it be?, we recommend that you enter our Respiratory Diseases section.